The New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) was thrilled to host our colleagues for the 2023, Northeast State Park Directors (NESPD) conference from October 30–November 1 on Long Island.
OPRHP Commissioner-Erik Kulleseid welcomed our colleagues from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware who gathered on Long Island, New York for the two and a half day-conference, which was packed with site visits and business meetings so that we could share experiences, generate excitement and ideas, and discuss issues of mutual concern. The conference began with an overview of the history and evolution of the NYS park and historic site system, as OPRHP approaches the centennial of its modern and unified state park and historic site system.
Over the course of the next two days, the group toured a number of the state parks and historic sites that New York operates on Long Island and in New York City (Brooklyn). Visits to Sunken Meadow State Park (day use, swimming, board walk and three 9-hole golf courses); Nissequogue River State Park (formerly Kings Park state psychiatric center, turned State Park); Bethpage State Park (“The People’s Country Club” - five 18-hole golf courses, including the famous world-class “Black Course”, polo fields, picnicking, tennis and clubhouse); Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park (renowned arboretum and Coe Hall historic site); Shirley Chisholm State Park (Brooklyn: a 400+ acre capped landfill overlooking Jamaica Bay and named after the first African-American member of Congress and first African-American to run for President of the United States; 10 miles of trail, bike library, environmental interpretation and other day-use activities); Hempstead Lake State Park (day-use, historic carousel; multi-use/equestrian trails Environmental Education and Resiliency Center) and concluding with a visit to Jones Beach State Park (New York State Parks’ largest and most-attended beachfront state park (Six-miles of beachfront, 2+mile boardwalk, Jones Beach Theater, Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center, Marine Dining Room, bandshell, zipline adventure course and other amenities).
Some of the topics discussed included: operating partnerships, managing overuse, land acquisition in response to climate change; overview of New York’s partnership with the Natural Heritage Trust (a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation), transportation grant program, Connect Kids to Nature and our Ladders to the Outdoors initiatives; as well as climate adaptation and coastal resiliency.
It was a busy couple of days and New York was thrilled to host our northeast colleagues. We are looking forward to joining our northeast colleagues at the 2024 NESPD conference in Delaware in April.
NYS OPRHP operates 250 parks and historic sites throughout New York State. To find out more about the parks and sites that NYS OPRHP manages, please go to: parks.ny.gov and don’t forget to download our State Parks App (iOS/Android) parks.ny.gov/explorer-app.
